HUNTINGTON BEACH : Man Held in Assault on Safety Officer

A 48-year-old man was arrested early Monday morning on suspicion of attempting to set a marine safety officer on fire after dousing him with gasoline, according to Huntington Beach police.

A police officer responding to a radio call for help found a man chasing the unarmed marine safety officer with a flame-lit object, Lt. Luis Ochoa said.

Marine Safety Officer Matt Karl, 28, was checking the beach area at 12:05 a.m. and asking people to leave the area due to its curfew when he approached a man holding a plastic cup in his hand.

After he told the man that he would have to leave the beach, the man allegedly tossed a cup of gasoline on the officer through the window of the Jeep he was driving.

“Once he realized it was gasoline, the officer put his Jeep into gear and began driving out of there, and the man chased him,” Ochoa said.

While attempting to elude the man, the officer called for help on the radio and was met by a Huntington Beach police officer, who arrested the man.

Lonnie Jack Scissel was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and assault with a caustic chemical and was being held at Huntington Beach Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail, Ochoa said.